Entries in Kingsley Flood
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We are massive fans of Kingsley Flood! It was an honor to have Jenée Morgan on vocals, Naseem Khuri on Vocals/rhythm guitar, and George Hall on lead guitar representing the band in full force for this private Visible Voice session. Their playful banter and non-pretentious demeanor made this session in Newport RI a genuinely good time.

Be sure to follow Kingsley Flood on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and catch them on tour!

If you're looking for something to do tonight, there's no better choice than heading to the Middle East for what has to be one of the strongest bills of the year so far. Langhorne Slim, Ha Ha Tonka and local favorites Kingsley Flood are going to bring a heavy dose of gritty, sweaty Americana to Central Square and I suggest you be there.

Six months ago I was counting down the days to another Newport Folk Festival...and our Newport Nightcap afterparty. Putting together a lineup of four fantastic artists, organizing beer sponsorships, ticket sales, lighting/sound, coordinating with a venue ill-equipped for an event of its size and everything else that went into the party (not to mention holding down a demanding day job) was tough. But ultimately so so worth it. The party was a huge success - great music, a HOT, packed, sold-out venue and even a little mention in Billboard magazine for our troubles. It was a ton of fun for me personally and hopefully for everyone that could make it.

After Newport weekend we wrapped up our coverage of the festival, but what seemingly got lost in shuffle was coverage of the Nightcap. I was too busy to take photos or video, and only managed to get recordings of two of the four bands. Then just a few days ago, the good folks and Kitchen Sessions sent over some incredible videos shot that night - I didn't even know these existed! The audio is a little inconsistent, but I think these show what an incredible night it was. Great memories.

Kingsley Flood will celebrate the release of their upcoming Colder Still EP with a three-night run of release shows at Lizard Lounge in Cambridge Dec. 8, 9 and 10. Each night will feature two killer opening acts and headline sets from the hometown boys, all for the low low price of $10. Visible Voice and Kitchen Sessions will co-present the middle night of the residency, featuring best buds Swear and Shake (NYC) and new buds Paper Thick Walls (Chicago). Swear and Shake will also be celebrating the release of their debut LP so, it's going to be an extra special night.

At $10 a pop I encourage you to check out each of these special shows - I can attest that every single opening band is fantastic and Kingsley Flood always brings the rock. But, if you have to choose just one, why not spend a rowdy Friday night in that cozy Cambridge basement with us? It's gonna be a party, I promise! These shows will sell out - get your tickets here.

Over the past two years the Nor'easter Festival presented by Eastern Mountain Sports has become one of my must-see annual events, and the end-cap to summer music festival season in New England. The festival, which was held at Burlington VT's Waterfront Park this year, caters to outdoor sports and music fanatics alike. A mashup of rock climbing, cycling and music from Okkervil River, G. Love and Special Sauce, Rivery City Extension, Aunt Martha, Kingsley Flood and more, all set along the picturesque banks of Lake Champlaign - well, there really isn't a better way to spend a fall weekend. I could only make it for the first half of the festival this year and as painful as it was to forego Okkervil River, Aunt Martha, Tan Vampires and The Toughcats - day 1 provided more than enough highlights to make it worth the drive.

I arrived early Saturday morning after a nearly 4-hour drive from Boston to hear Kingsley Flood soundchecking in the misty rain. The band went on to play a trademark energetic set to a handful of early-birds - clearly un-phased by either the sparse crowd or grey drizzle. The set featured favorites from Dust Windows as well as tracks off their upcoming EP set for December release. River City Extension were up next, blending punk-spirit, mariachi horns and folk earnestness into folk-rock anthems. On paper it may seem incongruous that the band played both the Warped Tour and Newport Folk in the past year - but after seeing them live it somehow all makes sense. As I saw the lead singer of each band head-bobbing to the other I thought what a great double-bill Kingsley Flood and River City Extension would make...

As the sun finally broke through the clouds, Providence's Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons took the stage. White Lighter was one of my favorite albums of last year, and it was great to hear the songs echoing across the Burlington waterfront. Songs of gritty desperation, pain and loss aren't normally what you think of as lighthearted festival fare - but Fletcher & co. sounded great as mandolin and fiddle echoed down the Burlington waterfront. It was somewhat surreal to see Kingsley Flood and Joe Fletcher - two of the local bands I would put my chips behind to break out of the New England scene - on a big festival stage. Nevermind the fact that they were playing to a mostly-empty field, it seemed like just a preview of things to come.

Truth be told, those were the three bands I made the drive for. Mariachi El Bronx surprised me though. As the G. Love crowd slowly filled in, the punk-cum-Mariachi band was starting to heat things up. I couldn't help but scratch my head as the very much non-Mexican lead singer (think younger Frank Black or Herc from The Wire) led the band through what sounded to these un-trained ears like note-perfect traditional Mariachi. Kids were dancing, heads were bobbing - this was my surprise of the weekend. Closing out the night was G. Love and Special Sauce. I have to admit that I've never been a huge fan, but the band's most recent Avett-produced effort Fixin' To Die has piqued my interest. Seeing him live I found a new appreciation for the R&B / funk-influenced sound. Set opener "Milk & Sugar", an ode to the magical powers of coffee, is the kind of mantra I can get behind.

And while music was the draw for me, the main attraction is without question The North Face Open - a United Bouldering Championship event that draws hundreds of climbing enthusiasts. For those that have no idea what "bouldering" is, it basically turns rock climbing into a competitive sport - as climbers must complete problems (as in, get to the top of a big-ass wall) as a five-minute clock ticks down. Some of the nuances of the sport may be lost on me, but after two years at Nor'easter I have to call myself a fan - it's really a jawdropping, holy-shit-did-you-see-that?! display of athleticism and skill.

But that brings me to my only complaint about Nor'easter: it has the potential to be a great music festival, if the music aspect of the festival was better-marketed. The pieces are all in place, but last year and again this year, no one is there for the music. If Kingsley Flood and River City Extension are playing to food vendors, and G. Love is playing a few hundred people - an opportunity is being missed. Until then, this festival will remain a sort-of secret hidden gem, but either way I know I'll be returning year-after-year.

Last year we made a last minute decision and headed up to Loon Mountain in Lincoln NH to check out the Nor'easter Festival. With a lineup that included The Walkmen, Dr. Dog, Gaslight Anthem, Alberta Cross, Eli Reed & The True Loves and more, I knew there would be great music - but the festival exceeded all of my expectations. I'm sure festival organizers were hoping for a better turnout, but the small-ish crowds made for an intimate and relaxed experience. World-class bouldering and cycle-cross events provided a great break from the music, and the gorgeous setting in the early-autumn White Mountains was perfect. Our most popular post of 2010, a live recording of The Gaslight Anthem was recorded at the festival, along with another popular recording of The Walkmen.

This year the festival moves north to downtown Burlington VT, on September 23-25. The location may be different, but the great music lineup and outdoor sporting events are back again. The 1-2-3 punch of Kingsley Flood, River City Extension and Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons to open Saturday's festival is worth the price of the weekend pass on its own - not to mention headliners Okkervil River, G. Love & Special Sauce and rjd2, more solid undercards including Aunt Martha and Toughcats and a full lineup of bouldering/cycle-cross competitions. Tickets are still available here. Don't miss out one last chance to get out of town and experience live music outdoors this year. Full lineup and mp3s below, along with photos + video from last year's festival:

As the final notes of the Newport Folk Festival are reverberating across Newport Harbor, move the party to downtown Newport. Relax in the upstairs lounge with food, cold drinks and intimate acoustic sets by local/national acts (artists TBA). Then, move downstairs where Kingsley Flood (Boston) and Swear and Shake (NYC) will keep party going late into the night.

It's been a few months since I last wrote about Boston's favorite "city-country" band Kingsley Flood. In that time they took home a Boston Music Award for Top New Artist, took Austin by storm at SXSW and took to the studio to record a follow-up to their fantastic debut Dust Windows.

The first single "I Don't Wanna Go Home" hints that album #2 will pick right up where the americana-punk barnburner Dust Windows left off. Truth is, this may be my favorite Kingsley Flood track yet, and that's not an easy list to top. Tongue-twister verses, a sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs chorus, handclaps and a blistering guitar lead all contribute to what should be a summer radio hit (if only mainstream radio played music this good). The track also shows the band expanding their palette - adding keys and horns to great effect. Listen here and head to the band's website for tour dates, free tunes and more